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Chris Atkinson, 29 last month, has been the most successful Australian at WRC level but was left stranded when the Subaru World Rally Team announced it was pulling out of the sport due to the global financial crisis and a fall in car sales.
Now the Citroen team has extended to him a rally career lifeline - asking him to be part of its M2 (manufacturer’s team) program in 2009.
The team will be alongside the main Citroen WRC outfit which won the 2008 world championship and the driver’s championship in the hands of record-breaking Sebastien Loeb.
The M2 team will be called the Citroen Junior team - but that is to indicate it is for young, up-and-coming drivers - not the category of car to be used.
Indeed, Atkinson can look forward to driving a Citroen C4 WRC rally car - similar to that used by Loeb when he won the 2008 title - at the opening round, Rally Ireland, from February 1.
However, while he is only pencilled in to compete in the opening round of 2009 in Ireland, Citroen Sport Technologies manager Benoit Nogier is confident the Australian, who finished fifth in the overall standings this year, could become a regular competitor over the season.
“It is our belief that our association with Chris will not stop there. It is no coincidence that we have chosen to employ the word ‘Junior’ in the team’s official name,” he added. “It is an M2 team which will predominantly run drivers who are currently learning the sport, and their average age will be 22.
“Our aims are to develop the commercial side which we began in 2008 and also enable our crews to benefit from our expertise. The programme will allow them to gain valuable extra experience which will put them in good stead for the next step of their career.”
